Ignacio Ramos

Huntington Beach Rep. Dana Rohrabacher ratcheted up the pressure Wednesday in the controversial case of two convicted border patrol agents, demanding that a U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case either "testify or resign." Rohrabacher has been lobbying for months to get agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean pardoned. They are serving jail time for not following procedures when they shot a drug smuggler who was fleeing across the Mexican border. On Wednesday, Rohrabacher revealed documents that he said show the federal government allowed the drug smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, to cross the border freely, even after he may have brought more drugs into the U.S. U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton and his team lied to the jury in the agents' trial, Rohrabacher said in a statement.

As soon as a bipartisan resolution hit the floor of Congress last week calling for the pardon of two Border Patrol agents convicted of a shooting in 2005, the Democratic leadership bottled it up in committee, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Monday The bill, sponsored by William Delahunt (D-Mass.) with co-sponsorship from Silverstre Reyes (D-Texas) and Rohrabacher, was the first such bipartisan gesture since agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were served with 11 to 12 year prison sentences for shooting an accused smuggler in the back, Rohrabacher said.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher invited the wife of a convicted Border Patrol agent to Tuesday's State of the Union address, hoping to increase the pressure on President Bush to pardon the man and another agent. The agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, began a prison sentence Jan. 17 after being convicted of shooting a drug smuggler who later claimed he was unarmed. Rohrabacher, who represents Costa Mesa, said he invited Monica Ramos to the speech as his guest so the president could see her face-to-face.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently upheld most of the convictions against two U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting an unarmed illegal immigrant. The decision angered some GOP House members, prompting them to call on President Bush to pardon Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. Do you think they should be pardoned? The decision by U.S. Atty. Johnny Sutton to give every benefit of the doubt to an illegal alien drug smuggler that he wasn’t armed over our Border Patrol officers is one of the worst miscarriages of justice I’ve ever seen.

All the histrionics performed by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher were not the reason Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean got their sentences commuted by then-President Bush last week. But they didn’t hurt. Rohrabacher talked about them — and what he perceived as a travesty of justice in their convictions — everywhere he went. Now, he can sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. “Our prayers have been answered!” Rohrabacher said in a statement released to the media.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and nine of his colleagues on Capitol Hill again took up the cause of two convicted Border Patrol agents Wednesday to pressure President Bush to release the men before he leaves office. Rohrabacher has long crusaded for Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who are serving decade-long sentences for shooting drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila as he tried to run away and then trying to cover it up. On Wednesday, he pleaded with U.S. Atty. Johnny Sutton to support a commutation of their sentences.

Local lawmakers are applauding a decision by outgoing President George W. Bush to commute the sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted in the shooting of a Mexican drug dealer. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who have been serving decade-long sentences after shooting drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila as he fled and trying to cover up their actions, will go free in the next two months. In the eyes of U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, that’s a resounding victory.

Deserved what glory? (“Kudos to the Rohrabacher camp’s win,” Sunday) “Congratulation on your office’s accomplishment?” What accomplishments? This is just part of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s demagoguery when it comes to undocumented Latino immigrants. Orange County has long been acknowledged as one of America’s most conservative and anti-Latino counties. So Rohrabacher is very safe pandering to the prejudices of many of his constituents.

Less than 24 hours before the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama, then-President Bush did the right thing by commuting the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Unless you live in a cave, you know them as the two U.S. Border Patrol guards who were convicted in federal court in March of 2006 after they shot (in the buttocks) a fleeing drug dealer who was trying to smuggle nearly 800 pounds of marijuana into the country. Whether they committed an offense that should be charged as a federal crime or one that should have only been dealt with internally by their employer for not reporting a shooting incident is a fair question for many Americans to ask. What is not disputed by most people is that even if Ramos and Compean were guilty of an offense, was it fair to put two law enforcement agents in prison for 11 and 12 years respectively?

Deserved what glory? (“Kudos to the Rohrabacher camp’s win,” Sunday) “Congratulation on your office’s accomplishment?” What accomplishments? This is just part of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s demagoguery when it comes to undocumented Latino immigrants. Orange County has long been acknowledged as one of America’s most conservative and anti-Latino counties. So Rohrabacher is very safe pandering to the prejudices of many of his constituents.

This is how Washington often works: A member of Congress makes a big stink about some pet issue to whip up their constituents. This is especially true in the House of Representatives because with two-year terms they’re perpetually running for re-election. Usually, when research is done a staffer is sent to do the grunt work the politician takes credit for. Then, when the TV news cameras show up for the moment of glory, guess who’s elbowing the staff out of the way to flex their muscles?

They’d just gotten off the plane from Phoenix to El Paso — a 45-minute flight of rollicking, delirious laughter and playful taunts. And they’d had their tearful greetings at the prison gate as Ignacio Ramos left solitary confinement behind. As they descended the airport escalator, a mob of cheering supporters and jostling reporters waited for them. Ramos was with wife Monica, attorney David Botsford and Tara Setmayer, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s spokeswoman, who fought for 2 1/2 years to free the former Border Patrol agent convicted along with partner Jose Compean of shooting a drug smuggler and trying to cover it up in a case that drew national attention.

Less than 24 hours before the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama, then-President Bush did the right thing by commuting the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Unless you live in a cave, you know them as the two U.S. Border Patrol guards who were convicted in federal court in March of 2006 after they shot (in the buttocks) a fleeing drug dealer who was trying to smuggle nearly 800 pounds of marijuana into the country. Whether they committed an offense that should be charged as a federal crime or one that should have only been dealt with internally by their employer for not reporting a shooting incident is a fair question for many Americans to ask. What is not disputed by most people is that even if Ramos and Compean were guilty of an offense, was it fair to put two law enforcement agents in prison for 11 and 12 years respectively?

Local lawmakers are applauding a decision by outgoing President George W. Bush to commute the sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted in the shooting of a Mexican drug dealer. Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who have been serving decade-long sentences after shooting drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila as he fled and trying to cover up their actions, will go free in the next two months. In the eyes of U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, that’s a resounding victory.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and nine of his colleagues on Capitol Hill again took up the cause of two convicted Border Patrol agents Wednesday to pressure President Bush to release the men before he leaves office. Rohrabacher has long crusaded for Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who are serving decade-long sentences for shooting drug smuggler Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila as he tried to run away and then trying to cover it up. On Wednesday, he pleaded with U.S. Atty. Johnny Sutton to support a commutation of their sentences.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently upheld most of the convictions against two U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting an unarmed illegal immigrant. The decision angered some GOP House members, prompting them to call on President Bush to pardon Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean. Do you think they should be pardoned? The decision by U.S. Atty. Johnny Sutton to give every benefit of the doubt to an illegal alien drug smuggler that he wasn’t armed over our Border Patrol officers is one of the worst miscarriages of justice I’ve ever seen.

If John McCain becomes president next year, he’ll have a solid fan base among Costa Mesa’s movers and shakers. That was the conclusion Friday at the South Coast Metro Alliance’s luncheon at the Westin South Coast Plaza, where public affairs consultant Paul Freeman conducted a mock presidential primary. Freeman, a former Laguna Beach mayor, circulated Republican, Democratic and general election ballots among more than 100 attendees — and when officials tallied the results, McCain had wiped out his Republican challengers and beaten Democrat Hillary Clinton by three votes.

As soon as a bipartisan resolution hit the floor of Congress last week calling for the pardon of two Border Patrol agents convicted of a shooting in 2005, the Democratic leadership bottled it up in committee, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said Monday The bill, sponsored by William Delahunt (D-Mass.) with co-sponsorship from Silverstre Reyes (D-Texas) and Rohrabacher, was the first such bipartisan gesture since agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean were served with 11 to 12 year prison sentences for shooting an accused smuggler in the back, Rohrabacher said.